(Approved by the Executive Vice President by authority of Administrative Order No. 9)
In accord with Chapter 43.03 RCW, the University may pay a prospective employee the necessary travel expense in connection with interviewing or examining the prospective employee.
Prospective employees are limited to applicants for positions as follows:
Includes the President, vice presidents, deans, professors, associate professors, assistant professors, lecturers, instructors, research faculty, librarians, research associates, and teaching associates.
Includes staff in professional, executive, management, or technical classifications where the recruitment has extended beyond the local area, and/or for employees who possess skills not available locally, or who are recruited to fulfill affirmative action goals. (Approval by the director of Recruiting and Candidate Services is required to establish these criteria.)
Approved expenses may be charged to one of the following:
Once approval has been obtained from the Recruiting and Candidate Services, interview expenses may be paid from the department's funds, from grant or contract funds (subject to the limitations described in Section 4), or by the Recruiting and Candidate Services, subject to the prior approval by the director of Recruiting and Candidate Services and the availability of funds.
Cost principles applicable to federal grants and contracts provide that, "travel costs of applicants for interviews for prospective employment are allowable to the extent that such costs are incurred pursuant to a well-managed recruitment program." Interview costs that meet these requirements may be charged to appropriate federal grants or contracts when sufficient funds are available and the grant or contract does not specifically prohibit expenditures for this purpose. If the terms are not entirely clear, call the Grant and Contract Services Office for an interpretation.
Travel expenses are defined as necessary expenses which have been incurred by a prospective employee while traveling to and from a designated place for an interview or employment examination. Travel expenses authorized for this purpose are subject to the same rates and restrictions that apply to travel by University employees. In addition, the following rules apply:
Other reimbursable expenses may include necessary costs incurred in travel by taxi, bus, rental vehicle, or other conveyance when traveling to and from the prospective employee's residence, a commercial carrier terminal, temporary lodging facilities, and/or the interview or examination location.
Meal and lodging costs in excess of the allowable for employees, as well as airfare, meals, and lodging costs for the candidate's spouse and/or family members are unallowable. These expenses can be paid or reimbursed only out of discretionary funds.
Reimbursement procedures and additional information on travel are available through the UW Travel website.
October 14, 2002.